Tom Ninan '91

Alumni Success Story

New CSEA President Developed Leadership Skills at RCC

As the president of the Rockland CSEA unit, Tom Ninan ’91 oversees union activities for more than 1,700 County civil service employees, including 200 from RCC. But his leadership abilities were first honed at the College, when he was president of the Student Senate and charged with responsibilities empowering him to later forge successful careers in military operations, real estate and social services.

“RCC made me who I am, basically,” says Ninan. “It gave me the foundation to springboard to the next level of education and in my career. I was entrusted with leadership roles and the deans I worked with gave me guidance and inspiration to fulfill my ambitions.”

Ninan received no fewer than four degrees from RCC – a pair of AAs, an AS, and an AAS in Electrical Technology. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Liberal Arts at SUNY Regents College (now Excelsior College).

Before enrolling at RCC, Ninan attended the U.S. Army Signal Center in Fort Gordon, Ga., earning a diploma in multi-channel communications systems operations. He served in that capacity in the Army National Guard’s 101st Signal Battalion in Orangeburg for more than a decade. He also worked with the Division of Military and Naval Affairs at Camp Smith in Peekskill.

Ninan embarked on a career in social services as a social welfare examiner for Rockland County. He has also operated a real estate business and worked as a property manager. He won election as Rockland CSEA unit president in July 2013. Ninan lives in New City with his wife, Mariamma, and three daughters.